A Zimbabwe Minister has sparked controversy after offering to export beef to China, because he wants the Chinese to stop eating “dogs, cats, snakes, bats, monkeys, baboons and other wildlife”.

Energy Mutodi who is a member of the ruling Zanu PF party and the Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services said that the consumption of wildlife in Asia and some parts of Africa is the reason why humans are contracting diseases such as the coronavirus (Covid-19) and Ebola. Mutodi then cheekily said that Zimbabwe was hoping to export huge amounts of beef to China, Indonesia and other Asian countries in an effort to stop this.

To buttress his point, the minister shared a video from Aljazeera News which showed a wet market in China where things like snakes, dogs and some other wildlife are being openly displayed for sale. In the video, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling on Asian countries to institute stricter standards for safety and hygiene when the wet markets reopen.

The consumption of dogs, cats , snakes , bats , monkeys , baboons & other wildlife in Asia & some parts of Africa has left us all at risk of contracting the COVID-19 & Ebola viruses. We hope to up our game on beef exports to China, Indonesia & others soon.

The consumption of dogs🐕, cats 🐈, snakes 🐍, bats 🦇, monkeys 🐒, baboons & other wildlife in Asia & some parts of Africa has left us all at risk of contracting the COVID-19 & Ebola viruses. We hope to up our game on beef exports to China, Indonesia & others soon. pic.twitter.com/Ve3vVygbvI

Mutodi who is fast building a reputation as a garrulous motormouth seems to be under the impression that the consumption of wildlife and other domestic animals is down to the lack of beef.

Many Zimbabwean social media users quickly schooled the minister over his reckless and misinformed taunting of the Chinese. Many warned that he was insulting China, the one country the Zimbabwe government claims to be ‘all-weather’ friends. However, it seems that Mutodi was not moved. Despite the avalanche of responses to his post, the Minister did not delete his tweet or attempt to spin it in any way.

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